Slipknot guitarist Jim Root says the nu metal nine-piece wrote a host of material during the COVID-19 pandemic, but that it will never see the light of day.
Talking in an interview with Guitar Interactive, recorded before one of the band’s shows at London’s O2 Arena in December, Root admits (via The PRP), “There’s a bunch of music that was written during COVID that I’m not interested in.”
He adds: “And I think everybody else in the band gets it too, and I think they’re kind of, like, ‘OK, we need to just kind of, like, maybe sweep all that shit under a rug and start fresh.’”
The guitarist also claims that, since drummer Eloy Casagrande joined Slipknot in early 2024, the band have had no time to write for the follow-up to 2022’s The End, So Far. They spent much of last year touring to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their self-titled debut album, playing it in full at each concert.
“Honestly, we’ve been touring so much since Eloy joined the band that my inspiration is nearly zero,” says Root.
He goes on to say that he wants to “get touring behind us” and “have at least a month off just to shut my brain off” before plotting new music.
Following the O2 concerts, Slipknot took two months off, and they’re currently in the middle of another live break set to last from March until June. So, there’s a chance they may have drummed up new ideas in that time.
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Despite the 2024 creative drought that Root alludes to, Slipknot still teased new music during that time. Early in the year, the band rented a California billboard and put out teasers featuring the phrase Long May You Die, later revealed to be the name of a single. However, at time of publication, the song is still yet to see the light of day.
All the while, the band continued to tease fans regarding the existence of their album Look Outside Your Window, which was recorded adjacent to 2008’s All Hope Is Gone. First announced in 2018 and described as having a mellower sound than the usual Slipknot fare, the release has been hinted at for years, yet continually postponed.
The latest update came from percussionist Shawn ‘Clown’ Crahan in July, who said Look Outside Your Windowhas been mixed, mastered and given album art. All that was left was finding a decent slot to release it.
“The only reason why it’s not been out is because it’s a timeless album,” he added. “It can be released 10 years ago, 10 years from now, today, so on and so forth.”
Slipknot will hit the European festival circuit in June. See all their live plans now via their website.
Jim Root on 25 Years Since Slipknot’s Debut, Taking Off the Masks for a Show, Authentic Tones – YouTube
Louder’s resident Gojira obsessive was still at uni when he joined the team in 2017. Since then, Matt’s become a regular in Metal Hammer and Prog, at his happiest when interviewing the most forward-thinking artists heavy music can muster. He’s got bylines in The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Independent, NME and many others, too. When he’s not writing, you’ll probably find him skydiving, scuba diving or coasteering.
“He mentioned how much he admired Pol Pot and Nicolae Ceaușescu for the way they could control the populace”: Cradle Of Filth’s Dani Filth was pen-pals with Norwegian black metal ringleader Euronymous
(Image credit: Press)
Cradle Of Filth frontman Dani Filth used to be pen-pals with late Norwegian black metal mastermind Euronymous.
Talking exclusively to Metal Hammer, the Cradle singer reveals that he has “three or four letters” from the original guitarist of Mayhem, who was stabbed to death by his then-bandmate Varg Vikernes in 1993, aged 25.
He adds that Euronymous, real name Øystein Aarseth, expressed admiration for the notorious dictators Pol Pot and Nicolae Ceaușescu during one of their correspondences.
“I became pen-pals with Euronymous after sending our demo tape to him with loads of flyers and stuff,” Filth (real name Daniel Lloyd Davey) remembers. “He sent me a really nice little letter, nothing overtly weird.
“I think he mentioned in the second letter to me how much he admired Pol Pot and Nicolae Ceaușescu for the way they could control the populace, but that’s about as misanthropic as it got.”
Filth also says that he used to keep his Euronymous letters in an original pressing of Mayhem’s 1987 debut EP Deathcrush, until the EP was stolen by “a wily character that I thought was a friend”.
“I still have an original copy of the EP from 1987,” he continues, “but me and my friends just regarded it as a crappy thrash metal, death metal thing. Not once did we consider it black metal, other than it having a spiky logo with inverted crosses.”
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The Norwegian black metal scene, which centred around Euronymous’ Oslo record store Helvete (Norwegian for “Hell”), committed numerous heinous, infamous acts in the early 1990s.
Mayhem vocalist Per “Dead” Ohlin committed suicide at the band’s cabin in 1991, and Euronymous photographed the corpse upon discovering it. One of the pictures he took became the cover of a Mayhem bootleg several years later.
Other musicians, including Vikernes and Emperor guitarist Tomas “Samoth” Haugen, burned churches down in anti-Christian acts of arson. In 1992, Emperor drummer Bård “Faust” Eithun murdered a gay man in Lillehammer.
In 1994, Haugen was sentenced to 16 months in prison for burning down Skjold church. The same year, Eithun was sentenced to 14 years in prison for murder and arson, and Vikernes was sentenced to 21 years (the maximum sentence in Norway at the time) for murder and arson.
Filth isn’t the only famed metal singer to have been pen-pals with Euronymous. In 2022, Soulfly, Cavalera Conspiracy and ex-Sepultura singer/guitarist Max Cavalera said that he exchanged letters with the controversial figure.
He wrote in his autobiography, My Bloody Roots: “[Euronymous] loved the Brazilian underground with us, Mutilator and Sarcófago. There was something about Brazilian black metal that felt different to him, I think. There was an element of danger. It was more fucked-up than European black metal because it had the Third World influence.”
Cradle released their new album, The Screaming Of The Valkyries, in March via Napalm. The band are currently touring North America and will hit the European festival circuit in June. They also have headline dates scheduled across the continent. See all details via their website.
Louder’s resident Gojira obsessive was still at uni when he joined the team in 2017. Since then, Matt’s become a regular in Metal Hammer and Prog, at his happiest when interviewing the most forward-thinking artists heavy music can muster. He’s got bylines in The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Independent, NME and many others, too. When he’s not writing, you’ll probably find him skydiving, scuba diving or coasteering.
In 2014, much-loved singer and actor Michael Des Barres sat down with AOR magazine to answer questions for the High Infidelities interview, a regular feature in which musicians answered questions of the kind not normally asked by music journalists. The answers (“I have no regrets. I’m Edith Piaf with a penis!”) may not be what you expect.
Michael Des Barres opens our conversation by claiming to have the Classic Rock logo tattooed on his left buttock. It’s an unexpected announcement, and one we can’t verify, but taking into account his dynamic personality (imagine a mash-up of David Coverdale, Stephen Fry and Germaine Greer), he might well be telling the truth.
His career has traced the twin showbiz peaks of music and acting, with considerable success in both. The serious rock’n’rolling began in 1972 when he put Silverhead together, before upping sticks and moving to LA to form Detective.
From there, the notches on his musical bedpost include being a co-founder of Chequered Past and taking over from Robert Palmer in the Power Station just days before they played the massive 1985 Live Aid show in Philadelphia. Today, he carves his own bluesy niche, and has recently released Hot N Sticky Live featuring eight sweaty tracks recorded at The Viper Room in West Hollywood.
Despite being something of a card, Michael is erudite and thoughtful, with a passion for photography and a commitment to sexual equality. He’s also extremely self-deprecating. “At a time when most people are walking around using frames, I seem to have had some kind of mad renaissance. It was my birthday last week,” he deadpans, in his sultry-posh tones. “I was 105!”
Have you ever been arrested or put in jail?
I was never arrested by the authorities but I was handcuffed and strip-searched by two young women at the Chateau Marmont in August of ’76, if that’s any help.
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How many points do you have on your driver’s licence?
None. I have reached a level of tranquillity that prevents me from speeding.
Have you ever punched someone or been in a barroom brawl?
I haven’t punched anybody physically in many years. I was in the British boarding school system, and they are a bunch of hypocritical elitist fools who would never punch anybody in the face, but aim at the back of the head.
Have you ever drunk yourself unconscious?
Oh god yeah, from 1972 to 1981! It’s a big blur with isolated great moments, but it should be a blur, rock’n’roll is a blur. When it comes into focus it’s usually incredibly disappointing. I encourage blurs.
Have you ever used pre-recorded tapes on stage?
Absolutely not. Wouldn’t know how to.
Have you ever cheated at cards, or some other form of gambling?
Gambling in terms of horses and cards has never appealed to me. Gambling with my life has, and apparently I won!
Which of your own releases could be branded a ‘criminal record’?
I would never think that way. Everything I’ve done has been satisfying to me, and if I’m satisfied it makes no difference what anybody else would feel about it. The most important thing is that I enjoy what I do. I’ve never made any errors that I wince at, although there are things that have happened in my life that I wince at.
I once crashed a Rolling Stones session and was thrown out on my ass for begging Keith [Richards] if I could sing Jumpin’ Jack Flash. But I think one should be thrown out of recording sessions, especially a Rolling Stones session. It’s a badge of honour! Other people might wince at things I’ve done but I don’t give a fuck about that.
Do bad reviews send you into an apoplectic rage?
I’ve never done anything with a view to being loved and adored; I’ve done it because I loved to do it. If you get into the results of what you’re doing then you’re doomed, because if they love you, you don’t trust it, and if they loathe you, it confirms your lack of self-worth. Both things are Neanderthal responses. Reviews mean absolutely nothing to me.
Have you ever stolen anything?
Yes. I stole drugs. Drug addiction is a horrible thing. It removes you from the world and from your true self. It turns you into a craven creature that needs to suck the blood out of everyone around you in order to feed the beast that roars inside you and demands the food it needs to exist. I was that creature. I don’t regret being that creature, though, because it brought me to this place in my life where I consider every experience I’ve had beneficial in stripping away the bullshit and allowing me to be the me that is capable of love.
OFFICIAL VIDEO – Crackle and Hiss – Michael Des Barres & The Mistakes – YouTube
The most dangerous thing I’ve ever done is assume an inauthentic self in order to get laid. In other words, when you need to be loved, the danger is that you turn yourself into what you think the person you’re aiming for wants you to be. You’re putting up a mask, and they fall in love with a mask – then the mask comes off at 3am and it’s not cool. That inauthenticity is dangerous, because it hurts people.
Which band or artist deserves to be marshalled out of town once and for all?
I don’t judge anyone. If people like Macklemore or Iggy or Beyoncé or Amanda Palmer, that’s their decision; it’s not my decision. When people say to me, “What are your influences?”, I’ll say, “Everybody who’s had the balls to plug in is my influence”. I will condemn no-one.
Do you mind being in a column named after an REO Speedwagon song?
Here’s what I love: I love Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Lord Byron, Rudolph Valentino, Oscar Wilde and Iggy Pop. I listen and learn and watch them. REO Speedwagon is not in that group.
Wine, women and song – put them in your order of preference.
Woman, in the singular, then song, and then wheatgrass.
Do you have any rock’n’roll regrets?
I have no regrets. I’m Edith Piaf with a penis!
This feature originally appeared in Classic Rock Presents AOR issue 11, published in September 2014. Des Barres’ most recent album, It’s Only Rock N’ Roll, came out in 2024.
And while some scoffed at the price tag, retired corrections sergeant Dwayne Rosado splashed out for the package for Simmons’ show on 5 May at the Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank, New Jersey.
Rosado, who brought his son Zach along for the experience, says it was worth every penny.
He tells the New York Times: “You only live once, and I want to experience life. I’m not going to die with a lot of money. I’m going to die happy.”
The deal included a soundcheck with the band, a meal with Simmons, a roadie experience and hanging out in Simmons’ backstage dressing room.
The father and son were even introduced by the star to the audience. Watch the video of that moment below.
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Rosado adds: “It felt awkward, because I have a whole crowd in front of me, and all I wanted to do is hug him. I didn’t care about anything else that was going on.
“Nothing can beat tonight. It’s cemented in Kisstory now, because it’s going to be on YouTube and everything else. So I’ll get to look back and see that moment forever.”
According to the NYT, Simmons praised Rosado for doing a great job as a parent and keeping his son away from illicit substances. Simmons also fielded some tough questions, including being asked to explain the price tag for the experience.
Simmons said: “There’s free market, supply and demand. People want to do it, you do it. You buy a Rolls because you want a Rolls, but a Volkswagen will get you there, too.”
Stef wrote close to 5,000 stories during his time as assistant online news editor and later as online news editor between 2014-2016. An accomplished reporter and journalist, Stef has written extensively for a number of UK newspapers and also played bass with UK rock favourites Logan. His favourite bands are Pixies and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Stef left the world of rock’n’roll news behind when he moved to his beloved Canada in 2016, but he started on his next 5000 stories in 2022.
Tired of being boxed in creatively, in 1980 Cher tried life as a singer in the short-lived rock band Black Rose. Her attempt to be just one member of a band of equals was similar to what David Bowie attempted with Tin Machine, although Cher did it almost a decade earlier.
In an exclusive excerpt from her new book I Got You Babe: A Celebration of Cher, author and UCR contributor Annie Zaleski tells the story of this long-forgotten stage of Cher’s career.
Cher the Rock Star
Established bands typically book up-and-coming artists as opening acts—which is why nobody batted an eye when a then-new group called Black Rose warmed up for Hall & Oates at the duo’s triumphant August 1980 hometown Philadelphia show. But the fiery singer who turned up onstage fronting Black Rose was a surprise—it was Cher, going under the radar (at least in the promotional sense) as the uncredited vocalist.
That was by design. “The point is that this is not Cher,” a publicist said at the time. “Black Rose is just a band—a rock ’n’ roll band.” As for the secrecy around her presence, the publicist added, “There are probably a lot of people who don’t consider Cher a rock ’n’ roll singer, and they might have trouble accepting her as such.”
One person who had no trouble considering her a rocker? That would be Cher herself, who wanted to sing with Black Rose thanks to her fondness for the genre. “To me, rock ’n’ roll is like going to a party and having a really good time,” she said. But she also saw parallels between rock’s penchant for rebellion and her early career. “You know, ‘Cher’ has so many connotations for so many people,” she said in 1980. “It’s like, ‘How could Cher do rock ’n’ roll?’ Most of the people that we have now are too young to really remember when Sonny and I started. Even though our music wasn’t called rock ’n’ roll, we were pretty outrageous.”
As it turns out, Cher more than held her own with Black Rose, a septet that featured (among other players) her then boyfriend Les Dudek and future Kansas/ Ringo Starr collaborator Warren Ham. The group’s 1980 self-titled debut album favored no-frills hard rock with dashes of glam, power-pop, and new wave. Unfettered by expectations and her own history, she added theatrical howls and biting shrieks to “Never Should’ve Started” and belted out “Take It from the Boys” with a ferocious growl. This was no vanity project, but Cher embracing reinvention—something that would distinguish her career throughout the 1980s.
Unfortunately, Black Rose was a commercial disappointment and, despite a brief tour and several high-profile TV appearances on The Midnight Special and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, the band petered out. But Black Rose’s sound influenced portions of Cher’s 1982 solo album I Paralyze—and it foreshadowed her meteoric late-decade comeback, led by a 1987 self-titled effort and 1989’s Heart of Stone.
By this time, of course, it was on trend to merge pop and hard rock—and Cher was perfectly suited to work with hitmakers like Desmond Child (who cowrote the towering “We All Sleep Alone” with rock stars Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora), record blazing songs like the Michael Bolton–penned top 10 hit “I Found Someone,” and cut power ballads such as “Just Like Jesse James.” Pop culture had finally caught up to Cher, making her time in Black Rose look rather prescient indeed—something underscored even more when she was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2024.
The Sex Pistols have added more dates to their upcoming North American tour.
The reunited group, sans original singer Johnny Rotten, is now playing shows across Europe with Frank Carter. Original band members Steve Jones, Paul Cook and Glen Matlock will start their North American run in mid-September.
Four new dates have been added to the band’s itinerary, which was unveiled in March. The concerts, which mark the band’s 50th anniversary, will be the Sex Pistols’ first U.S. shows since 2003.
The Sex Pistols reunited in 2024 with singer Carter, who fronts the U.K. punk band Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes. Rotten, aka John Lydon, has refused to join his former bandmates in any recent group projects, including a 2022 TV series about the legendary band.
The group is playing the Sex Pistols’ only album, 1977’s Never Mind the Bollocks Here’s the Sex Pistols, in its entirety at the shows plus other songs they had recorded before breaking up in 1978.
Reunions over the years — in 1996, 2002 and 2007 — have included Lydon. But he’s been against any recent activity, calling the shows with Carter “karaoke.” “When I first heard that the Sex Pistols were touring this year without me it pissed me off,” he said.
“It annoyed me. I just thought they’re absolutely going to kill all that was good with the Pistols by eliminating the point and the purpose of it all.”
Where Are Sex Pistols Playing in 2025?
The North American run of concert dates starts on Sept. 16 in Dallas at the Longhorn Ballroom, the location of an infamous Sex Pistols show in 1978, not long before they imploded.
The tour will then move across the country with new stops in Chicago, Boston, New York and Las Vegas before concluding with an Oct. 16 performance at Los Angeles’ Hollywood Paladium.
You can see the full list of the Sex Pistols’ 2025 North American concert dates below. More information is available on the band’s website.
Sex Pistols 2025 North American Tour Sept. 16 – Longhorn Ballroom – Dallas, TX Sept. 19-21 – Riot Fest – Chicago, IL Sept. 23 – 9:30 Club – Washington, DC Sept. 25 – The Stage at Suffolk Downs – Boston, MA Sept. 26 – Fillmore – Philadelphia, PA Sept. 27 – CBGB Festival – Brooklyn, NY Sept. 30 – MTELUS – Montreal, QC Oct. 1 – HISTORY – Toronto, ON Oct. 3 – Agora Theatre – Cleveland, OH Oct. 4 – Fillmore – Detroit, MI Oct. 7 – Fillmore – Minneapolis, MN Oct. 10 – Mission Ballroom – Denver, CO Oct. 13 – Showbox SoDo – Seattle, WA Oct. 15 – Warfield – San Francisco, CA Oct. 16 – Hollywood Palladium – Los Angeles, CA Oct. 17 – The Pearl – Las Vegas, NV
Punk Rock’s 40 Best Albums
From the Ramones to Green Day, this is musical aggression at its finest.
“This is what I choose to spend my money on,” 52-year-old retired corrections sergeant Dwayne Rosado told the New York Times after serving as Simmons’ “roadie” alongside his 13 year-old son Zach for a concert in Red Bank, NJ on May 9. “I’m not going to die with a lot of money. I’m going to die happy.”
The story goes on to chronicle the Rosados’ day with the God of Thunder, which included a two-hour dinner where Simmons answered questions on everything from how he lost his virginity to the value of limited liability corporations. As expected, there was very little actual roadie work done, but the father and son did get to show off their musical skills at soundcheck.
They also got to join Simmons and his band on stage, with the crowd singing “Happy Birthday” to Zach at one point, and the duo getting to film the performance of the Kiss song “Parasite” from the stage.
Simmons also introduced the Rosados to the crowd, praising the father for always making time for his son, and especially for teaching him to stay away from drugs and alcohol. The two got to have a final private meeting with Simmons after the show.
When asked by the Times if the experience was worth the money, Rosado didn’t hesitate. “Absolutely. Nothing can beat tonight. It’s cemented in Kisstory now, because it’s going to be on YouTube and everything else. So I’ll get to look back and see that moment forever.”
Simmons has two dates left on his May tour itinerary: May 14 in Northfield, Ohio and May 15 in Niagara Falls. You can get complete ticket information at his official website.
Kiss Solo Albums Ranked Worst to Best
Counting down solo albums released by various members of Kiss.
Pearl Jam were joined onstage by a special guest at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena last night (May 8), veteran British rock Peter Frampton.
And vocalist Eddie Vedder explained in detail why the Nashville resident is something of a hero to the Seattle band.
“This gentleman was someone we looked up to before the Ramones. Some of our first guitar heroes, [like] Jimmy Page and Pete Townshend, he was right up there,” Eddie Vedder told the crowd at the 20,000 capacity venue when introducing the 75-year-old Bromley-born musician, as reported by Rolling Stone.
Referencing Frampton’s hugely successful 1976 double live album, Frampton Comes Alive!, Vedder added, “It was one of reasons why we loved live records, and later we decided to release bootlegs because of his influence. He’s such an incredible human being on top of it. It is our honour, because at this point he’s become a good friend to the group. He’s recorded with Mike [McCready, PJ guitarist] and [drummer] Matt Cameron and we get to play with him tonight.”
Frampton then joined the band to perform Black, from their 1991 debut album, Ten.
Last year, Kiss bassist Gene Simmons declared that no-one aged 20 or younger could name a single song by Pearl Jam.
Simmons made this curious comment in a recent podcast interview, in connection to his long-standing argument that rock is dead.
In conversation on The Zak Kuhn Show, Simmons pointed out that in the 30 years between 1958 and 1988, the world saw the appearance of Elvis Presley, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, David Bowie, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Prince and many more global superstars.
“And from 1988 until today, it’s something like almost 40 years, certainly 35 years, who are the new Beatles?” he asked.
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When Kuhn mentioned Pearl Jam, Simmons praised the Seattle quintet, but added, “My point is if you randomly walk down the street and you ask the first young person you meet, a 20-year-old, and you say, ‘Name me anybody in Pearl Jam,’ good luck with that. ‘Name me or tell me a song. Hum a song.’ They [can’t].”
“The masses have no idea who’s in Phish one of my favourite bands, or Pearl Jam. They wouldn’t have a clue, unless you’re a fan.”
A music writer since 1993, formerly Editor of Kerrang! and Planet Rock magazine (RIP), Paul Brannigan is a Contributing Editor to Louder. Having previously written books on Lemmy, Dave Grohl (the Sunday Times best-seller This Is A Call) and Metallica (Birth School Metallica Death, co-authored with Ian Winwood), his Eddie Van Halen biography (Eruption in the UK, Unchained in the US) emerged in 2021. He has written for Rolling Stone, Mojo and Q, hung out with Fugazi at Dischord House, flown on Ozzy Osbourne’s private jet, played Angus Young’s Gibson SG, and interviewed everyone from Aerosmith and Beastie Boys to Young Gods and ZZ Top. Born in the North of Ireland, Brannigan lives in North London and supports The Arsenal.
Is it just us, or is it getting busy? It’s well and truly sprinting into the most frantic times of the year now as festival season gets underway and new releases come thick and fast, but thankfully we’re here to cut through the chatter and pick out some of the finest new sounds around.
That in mind, here are the results of last week’s vote! As our weekly poll often proves, big names don’t always necessitate big results and even in a week with a returning Loathe, Turnstile and Primus, the podium offered up some suprises. Finishing in third was the welcome return from Shadows Fall, while France’s own metalcore maniacs Rise Of The Northstar took second place. But the crown went to newcomers Part Of The Theory, whose debut single Famished Mammon astounded with some incredible mixes of prog metal, symphonic elements and even Balkan folk.
We’ve gone for a real diverse spread again this week, bringing you the latest singles from Parkway Drive and Of Mice & Men, as well as indigenous metal from South America in the form of Mawiza, ever-brilliant Swedish melodeath masters Orbit Culture, clanging grindcore from Full Of Hell and even pounding power metal from Battle Beast.
As ever, we need you to tell us which songs excite you most, so don’t forget to cast your vote below – and have an excellent weekend!
Parkway Drive – Sacred
Peak Parkway is back, baby! Granted, depending on where you stand on 2022’s Darker Still, you might argue that they never went away but there’s no denying that Sacred feels like the most triumphant Parkway tune in a while, bounding with the same kind of assured brilliance that made the likes of Bottom Feeder and Vice Grip colossal anthems. Chuck in some extra gruesome snarling and breakdowns at the midway point and it feels like a real statement of intent from the Aussies as they gear up for a massive second half of 2025, including a show at the Sydney Opera House and a full arena tour of the UK.
Industrial mavericks Health have made a habit of teaming up with some exceptionally talented artists in recent years and given her own industrial leanings in the past, it was perhaps only a matter of time before they joined forces with modern doom icon Chelsea Wolfe. Mean inhabits the dancier side of Health’s industrial soundscapes, but retains just enough of Wolfe’s own dark mystique to make it feel like you’re in the darkned corner of an underground goth dance club.
Prefer your metal to be buoyed by triumphant, trad metal tones? Battle Beast certainly have us covered on that front, bridging the likes of Judas Priest and Europe with fist-pumping beats, driving riffs and wails that could send a kennel into a frenzy. The Finns are apparently eyeing up a release date for their new album later this year – hopefully in time for their European tour to kick off in October.
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BATTLE BEAST – Last Goodbye (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO) – YouTube
Most recently seen opening the epic Trivium and Bullet For My Valentine double-bill in the UK back in January, Orbit Culture have a massive summer ahead – including a slot on the main stage of Download. Now, they’re eyeing up breakout status with a first taste of new music in The Tales Of War. Mixing melodeath, thrash and old school heavy metal in a novel and fresh way, the single feels like a seriously big swing for a band who’ve only been getting more brilliant with each new release.
ORBIT CULTURE – The Tales Of War (OFFICIAL VIDEO) – YouTube
Crab stances at the ready folks, Attack Attack! are back. Announcing their first new album in 13 years, the US metalcore mob have drafted in Lorna Shore’s growler-in-chief for a track that swings between Electric Callboy style electronicore and poppy choruses with some colossal, crunching heft. New album Attack Attack! II is expected August 8, so best get limbering those limbs…
Halsey – Hand That Feeds (ft. Amy Lee)
The worlds of pop and metal are colliding. Megann The Stallion got the jump on the trend by teaming up with Spiritbox, while Charlie XCX has declared summer 2025 “Turnstile summer”, but now we’ve also got Halsey teaming up with Evanescence icon Amy Lee to bridge the gap. Granted, it’s not her first foray into alternative – 2020’s If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power was produced by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross – but Hand That Feeds (familiar title, eh?) combines some decidedly-NIN like existential dread with powerhouse vocals from both Halsey and Lee. Top stuff.
Halsey, Amy Lee, Evanescence – Hand That Feeds (From the Film Ballerina – Official Audio) – YouTube
From one extreme to, erm, proper extreme. Full Of Hell have a proven track record for shrieking, clattering extreme metal and Broken Sword, Rotten Shield is absolutely no exception. Hyperspeed grindcore with some delicious riffs and vocals that sound like a larynx after chewing glass, it’s pure scabrous horror and we love it.
Full Of Hell – Broken Sword, Rotten Shield – YouTube
Indigenous metal hailing from South America, Mawiza have been kicking around in one form or another for a decade now, but will release their third album Ül on July 18. Lead single Wingkawnoam shows off the band’s stomping, thunderous chops, combining the shamanic chanting of their Mapuche culture with some colossal groove metal riffs to create something massive and distinct. There’s an undeniable hint of Gojira to the thump, which isn’t surprising considering Joe Duplantier pops up on the record.
Mawiza – “Wingkawnoam” (Official Music Video) – YouTube
Sticking to South of the equator for a moment, Brazilian punks Fantazmaz also come sprinting out the gates this week with new single Distortion. Taken from their self-titled debut – coming July 4 – it’s a high-speed blast of spiky, old-school punk that’ll surely please fans of Discharge, GBH or even the hardest ends of The Distillers.
FANTAZMAZ – ‘Distortion’ [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO] – YouTube
Fired up and cleary itching to bounce off the walls, Of Mice & Men’s latest single leans hard on almost tech metal tones to create a rager. They’ve not done away with the anthemic choruses entirely though and the mosh-calls on this one feel especially potent as they gear up for a return to Europe and the UK at the end of this year.
Of Mice & Men – Another Miracle (Official Music Video) – YouTube
Given their heavy Elder Scrolls influence, it feels fitting that Texans Daedric should return just a few weeks after Oblivion Remastered. But while they might be inspired by the high fantasy series, that’s where the power metal inclinations end; Night Mother is a grinding mix of industrial tones and melodeath bombast, the first taste of their second album. It’s diverse, distinct and a brilliant reminder for why you need this band in your life.
Daedric – Night Mother (Official Music Video) – YouTube
Britain and the US might’ve ruled the roost for stoner rock in the 90s and 2000s, but in recent years Scandinavia has swiped the crown. You need only hear the undulating riffs of Gaupa’s Ten Of Twelve to know just how fine a strand of old school fuzz is emerging from the region, the band weaving in psychedelic tones amidst Emma Näslund’s ethereal vocal to create something which promises otherworldly delights. New EP Fyr comes July 4 and we can’t wait to hear more.
GAUPA – Ten Of Twelve (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO) – YouTube
Feature Photo: Markus Maier, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
Queens of the Stone Age formed in Palm Desert, California in 1996, founded by guitarist and vocalist Josh Homme after the dissolution of his previous band Kyuss. Homme established the group with a rotating lineup of musicians, beginning with Alfredo Hernández, who had also played with Kyuss. The band’s musical approach was described by Homme as “robot rock,” characterized by repetitive, precise riffing and arrangements. Their connection to the Palm Desert scene was instrumental in their formation, with the area’s generator parties—outdoor gatherings powered by generators where desert bands would perform—providing the cultural backdrop for their emergence.
The band released their self-titled debut album in 1998 on Loosegroove Records, establishing their sound before signing with Interscope Records. Their second album “Rated R” (2000) increased their visibility with singles like “The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret” and the controversial “Feel Good Hit of the Summer,” which explicitly listed various substances in its lyrics. The 2002 album “Songs for the Deaf” marked their commercial breakthrough, featuring Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl on drums and producing hit singles “No One Knows” and “Go With the Flow.” This album achieved platinum certification in several countries and firmly established the band in mainstream rock.
Queens of the Stone Age have released seven studio albums in total: their self-titled debut (1998), “Rated R” (2000), “Songs for the Deaf” (2002), “Lullabies to Paralyze” (2005), “Era Vulgaris” (2007), “…Like Clockwork” (2013), “Villains” (2017), and most recently “In Times New Roman…” (2023). Their sixth album “…Like Clockwork” became their first to reach number one on the Billboard 200 chart and was created during a particularly difficult period for Homme, who experienced complications during routine knee surgery that led to a near-death experience and months of bedridden recovery. Other successful singles throughout their career have included “Little Sister,” “Make It Wit Chu,” and “The Way You Used To Do,” which have helped maintain their presence on rock radio.
The band’s lineup has undergone numerous changes throughout their history, functioning with Homme as the sole consistent member. Notable participants have included bassist Nick Oliveri (who was fired in 2004), Mark Lanegan (formerly of Screaming Trees), Troy Van Leeuwen (A Perfect Circle), Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters), Joey Castillo (Danzig), Dean Fertita (The Dead Weather), Michael Shuman (Mini Mansions), and Jon Theodore (The Mars Volta). Despite critical acclaim and commercial success, the band has received nine Grammy Award nominations without winning, including Best Hard Rock Performance for “No One Knows” and Best Rock Album for “…Like Clockwork.”
Beyond Queens of the Stone Age, Homme has maintained several notable side projects. The Desert Sessions, which began in 1997, feature collaborative recordings with various musicians at Rancho De La Luna studio in Joshua Tree, California. Homme has also produced albums for other artists including Arctic Monkeys’ “Humbug” and Iggy Pop’s “Post Pop Depression,” the latter of which he also co-wrote and performed on. In 2009, he formed the supergroup Them Crooked Vultures with Dave Grohl and Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones, releasing one self-titled album. On the personal front, Homme has experienced significant challenges, including a contentious custody battle with ex-wife Brody Dalle and a cancer diagnosis in 2021, which he later revealed he had overcome.
Queens of the Stone Age have built a reputation for their distinctive sound that combines elements of stoner rock, alternative rock, and hard rock, characterized by heavy riffs, Homme’s baritone vocals, and complex rhythmic structures. Their live performances have been noted for their intensity and musical precision. Despite fluctuations in lineup and personal difficulties, the band has maintained a consistent output of critically respected material across nearly three decades, continuing to tour internationally and release new music that builds on their established sound while incorporating new elements. Their ongoing appeal demonstrates their significance within contemporary rock music as a band that has successfully balanced artistic credibility with commercial viability.
Complete List Of Queens Of The Stone Age Songs From A to Z
18 A.D. – Burn One Up! – 1997
3’s & 7’s – Era Vulgaris – 2007
Another Love Song – Songs for the Deaf – 2002
Auto Pilot – Rated R – 2000
Avon – Queens of the Stone Age – 1998
Back to Dungaree High – Alpha Motherfuckers: A Tribute to Turbonegro – 2001
Battery Acid – Era Vulgaris – 2007
Better Living Through Chemistry – Rated R – 2000
The Blood Is Love – Lullabies to Paralyze – 2005
Bloody Hammer – Songs for the Deaf – 2002
Born to Hula – Gamma Ray – 1996
Born to Hula – Stone Age Complication – 2000
Broken Box – Lullabies to Paralyze – 2005
The Bronze – The Split CD – 1998
Burn the Witch – Lullabies to Paralyze – 2005
Christian Brothers – Era Vulgaris – 2008
Do It Again – Songs for the Deaf – 2002
Domesticated Animals – Villains – 2017
Era Vulgaris – Era Vulgaris – 2007
Everybody Knows That You Are Insane – Lullabies to Paralyze – 2005
Everybody’s Gonna Be Happy – Songs for the Deaf – 2002
The Evil Has Landed – Villains – 2017
Fairweather Friends – …Like Clockwork – 2013
Feet Don’t Fail Me – Villains – 2017
Feel Good Hit of the Summer – Rated R – 2000
Feel Good Hit of the Summer (Reprise) – Rated R – 2000
First It Giveth – Songs for the Deaf – 2002
Fortress – Villains – 2017
The Fun Machine Took a Shit and Died – None – 2005
The Fun Machine Took a Shit and Died – Era Vulgaris – 2007
Give the Mule What He Wants – Queens of the Stone Age – 1998
Go with the Flow – Songs for the Deaf – 2002
God Is in the Radio – Songs for the Deaf – 2002
Goin’ Out West – Era Vulgaris – 2007
Gonna Leave You – Songs for the Deaf – 2002
Gonna Leave You (Spanish version) – Songs for the Deaf – 2002
Hangin’ Tree – Songs for the Deaf – 2002
Head Like a Haunted House – Villains – 2017
Hideaway – Villains – 2017
Hispanic Impressions – Queens of the Stone Age – 1998
How to Handle a Rope – Queens of the Stone Age – 1998
I Appear Missing – …Like Clockwork – 2013
I Never Came – Lullabies to Paralyze – 2005
I Sat by the Ocean – …Like Clockwork – 2013
I Think I Lost My Headache – Rated R – 2000
I Was a Teenage Hand Model – Queens of the Stone Age – 1998
If I Had a Tail – …Like Clockwork – 2013
If Only – Gamma Ray – 1996
If Only – Queens of the Stone Age – 1998
I’m Designer – Era Vulgaris – 2007
In My Head – Lullabies to Paralyze – 2005
In the Fade – Rated R – 2000
Infinity – Heavy Metal 2000 soundtrack – 2000
Infinity – Lullabies to Paralyze – 2005
Into the Hollow – Era Vulgaris – 2007
Kalopsia – …Like Clockwork – 2013
Keep Your Eyes Peeled – …Like Clockwork – 2013
Leg of Lamb – Rated R – 2000
Lightning Song – Rated R – 2000
Like a Drug – Lullabies to Paralyze – 2005
…Like Clockwork – …Like Clockwork – 2013
Little Sister – Lullabies to Paralyze – 2005
Long Slow Goodbye – Lullabies to Paralyze – 2005
The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret – Rated R – 2000
Make It wit Chu – Era Vulgaris – 2007
Medication – Lullabies to Paralyze – 2005
Mexicola – Queens of the Stone Age – 1998
Misfit Love – Era Vulgaris – 2007
Monsters in the Parasol – Rated R – 2000
Mosquito Song – Songs for the Deaf – 2002
Most Exalted Potentate of Love – Stone Age Complication – 2003
My God Is the Sun – …Like Clockwork – 2013
Needles in the Camel’s Eye – Era Vulgaris – 2008
Never Say Never – Rated R – 2000
No One Knows – Songs for the Deaf – 2002
Ode to Clarissa – Rated R – 2000
Outlaw Blues – Chimes of Freedom – 2012
Precious and Grace – Lullabies to Paralyze – 2005
Quick and to the Pointless – Rated R – 2000
The Real Song for the Deaf – Songs for the Deaf – 2002
Regular John – Queens of the Stone Age – 1998
River in the Road – Era Vulgaris – 2007
Run, Pig, Run – Era Vulgaris – 2007
Running Joke – Era Vulgaris – 2007
Sick, Sick, Sick – Era Vulgaris – 2007
Six Shooter – Songs for the Deaf – 2002
Skin on Skin – Lullabies to Paralyze – 2005
The Sky Is Fallin’ – Songs for the Deaf – 2002
Smooth Sailing – …Like Clockwork – 2013
Someone’s in the Wolf – Lullabies to Paralyze – 2005
A Song for the Dead – Songs for the Deaf – 2002
A Song for the Deaf – Songs for the Deaf – 2002
Spiders and Vinegaroons – Kyuss / Queens of the Stone Age – 1997
Suture Up Your Future – Era Vulgaris – 2007
Tangled Up in Plaid – Lullabies to Paralyze – 2005
Tension Head – Rated R – 2000
These Aren’t the Droids You’re Looking For – The Split CD – 1998
This Lullaby – Lullabies to Paralyze – 2005
Turnin’ on the Screw – Era Vulgaris – 2007
Un-Reborn Again – Villains – 2017
The Vampyre of Time and Memory – …Like Clockwork – 2013
Villains of Circumstance – Villains – 2017
Wake Up Screaming – Stone Age Complication – 2003
Walkin’ on the Sidewalks – Queens of the Stone Age – 1998
The Way You Used to Do – Villains – 2017
Who’ll Be the Next in Line – Rated R – 2000
You Can’t Quit Me Baby – Queens of the Stone Age – 1998
You Got a Killer Scene There, Man… – Lullabies to Paralyze – 2005
You Think I Ain’t Worth a Dollar, But I Feel Like a Millionaire – Songs for the Deaf – 2002
You Would Know – Queens of the Stone Age – 1998
You’re So Vague – Rated R – 2000
Albums and EPs
Gamma Ray (1996): 2 songs
Burn One Up! (1997): 1 song
Kyuss / Queens of the Stone Age (1997): 1 song
Queens of the Stone Age (1998): 10 songs
The Split CD (1998): 2 songs
Rated R (2000): 16 songs
Heavy Metal 2000 soundtrack (2000): 1 song
Stone Age Complication (2000): 1 song
Alpha Motherfuckers: A Tribute to Turbonegro (2001): 1 song
Songs for the Deaf (2002): 17 songs
Stone Age Complication (2003): 2 songs
Lullabies to Paralyze (2005): 15 songs
None (2005): 1 song
Era Vulgaris (2007): 14 songs
Era Vulgaris (2008): 2 songs
Chimes of Freedom (2012): 1 song
…Like Clockwork (2013): 10 songs
Villains (2017): 9 songs
Check out our fantastic and entertaining Queens Of The Stone Age articles, detailing in-depth the band’s albums, songs, band members, and more…all on ClassicRockHistory.com
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